GFE 13th Annual Conference

Make No Small Plans:
Innovation, Collaboration and Confidence during Challenging Times

October 5-7, 2009
Chicago, IL

We live in unprecedented times. Our global economic system teeters on a precipice, compelling us to address fundamental human needs. At the same time our education systems cry out for wholesale rethinking in order to prepare young people for meaningful and successful lives in the 21st century. At this defining moment, education grantmakers may be tempted to seek safe harbor, becoming more reserved in their giving. Taking bold action in difficult times may seem counterintuitive, but this moment of crisis may indeed be the opportunity to create more powerful solutions.

Education grantmakers find themselves facing the following critical questions: How can innovative approaches and collective efforts lead to more effective learning systems? Which strategic investments can dramatically improve outcomes for all children? How can we accelerate student outcomes at a time of diminishing resources?

This fall, Grantmakers for Education’s national conference convenes in Chicago, a city that has welcomed innovation in education. Join colleagues and leading thinkers in meaningful, collaborative conversations focusing on the strengths and limitations of current strategies, reimagining and rebuilding systems at their intersections, gathering strength from new voices, and creating fresh blueprints for the future. Together, and with our children’s potential at the forefront of our minds, we’ll consider the next stages of work for grantmakers to transform daunting challenges into promising opportunities.

2009 Conference Sponsors

Presenting Sponsor: Nellie Mae Education Foundation

Supporting & Contributing Sponsors: The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Boeing Company, Donors Forum (Illinois), The Joyce Foundation, JPMorgan Chase Foundation, The McCormick Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation, The Prudential Foundation, The Spencer Foundation, Prince Charitable Trust and W. Clement & Jessie V. Stone Foundation

2009 Conference Planning Committee
Peggy Mueller, The Chicago Community Trust (co-chair)
Daniel J. Shoy, Jr., Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation (co-chair)
Lynson Beaulieu, Schott Foundation for Public Education
Nicholas Donohue, Nellie Mae Education Foundation
Jerry Fuller, Associated Colleges of Illinois
Tina Gridiron Smith, Lumina Foundation for Education
Karen Ortiz, Helios Education Foundation
Mark Rigdon, JP Morgan Chase Foundation
Nikki Will Stein, Polk Brothers Foundation
Lisa Villarreal, The San Francisco Foundation